Security staff at a court refused to walk prisoners up stairs from cells after a lift broke - forcing officials to transfer them over 40 miles.

The guards at the new £18million Cambridge magistrates' court claimed the trudge up two flights of stairs to the ground floor and then up 92 steps to courtrooms broke safety rules. A total of 36 prisoners had to be sent to its sister court in Peterborough.

And there was fury that repairing the lift took six weeks because a part had to be ordered from Italy.

Solicitor Monica Lentin complained huge amounts of money were wasted. She said: "It was unacceptable it took so long to repair."

Two public lifts also broke down. Ms Lentin added: "We are all livid. The place is not fit for purpose."

The court, in use for a year, was built under the Private Finance Initiative. The Court Service said knock-on costs of the broken lift were unknown.